Texan Mosaic

by HANNAH NELSON//Staff Writer

Punk rock fans of all ages came together for a night of head banging, moshing, crowd surfing, and heavy music. 

Music groups IPrevail, Neck Deep, and headliners Pierce the Veil invaded Lubbock as part of the “Made to Destroy Tour” on Oct.12 at the Lonestar Pavilion. Lubbock was the fourth to last stop left on this tour in support of Pierce the Veil’s newest album, “Misadventures.” With the hype of new music and astounding opening bands, fans were prepared for a good night.

As people lined up hours before the doors opened, there was an obvious feeling of excitement in the air. It had been two years since Pierce the Veil had stopped in Lubbock for their “World Tour” with Sleeping with Sirens. This was an opportunity for music lovers from the surrounding area to come together and connect with music. You could see fans in line talking to one another about the concert, Pierce the Veil and more.

As the doors opened, fans rushed inside, trying to get a good spot in the crowd before the show began.

As the lights went down, the first band took the stage. IPrevail’s drummer, Lee Runestad, stepped behind his kit and began a loud beat. As the remaining members took the stage, the band kicked off the night with “Scars.” The song is the first released single off of their album, “Lifelines,” which released on Oct. 21. Instantly, the crowd exploded with energy, as the high-powered song was played.

A unique part of this first opening band is dual front men. Eric Vanlerberghe is the screaming and hardcore vocals for the band. During songs, he goes back and forth with singer Brian Burkheiser. Even though Burkheiser had what appeared to be a sprained wrist, the energy from the band was in full force. The crowd was pumped with excitement and got disorderly with the band. Vanlerberghe jumped into the crowd while performing and connecting with the audience. During their set, the band members threw their water bottles into the crowd, splashing the front few rows.

IPrevail’s set list included songs from their new album, including the recently-released single, “Stuck in Your Head.” However, a crowd favorite that the band performed was their cover of “Blank Space” by Taylor Swift. This is one of the band’s most popular releases.

The second band to perform for the night was Neck Deep. Unfortunately, before the set, the band delivered some unhappy news to the crowd. The lead singer, Ben Barlow, was not at the show that night. The band explained that the singer was forced to depart from the rest of the tour earlier that day. This was due to family-related issues.

However, despite the absence of a lead singer, the show went on. The band was still set on performing. To fill in for the missing vocals, Neck Deep had a variety of guests on stage to help out. These guests included the band’s tour manager, guitar tech, and singer of Pierce the Veil, Vic Fuentes.  This was a very bold accomplishment that the band fulfilled. It allowed fans to hear the songs and enjoy the show. Even though the band was  missing a member, they were determined to not let fans down. Throughout the show you could hear and feel the energy from the crowd. The circumstances seemed to give people even more reason to sing at the top of their lungs and head bang along.

As the night went on, it was time for the last band and headliner, Pierce the Veil.

Smoke filled the venue as the lights went down. The beginning of the song “Dive In” started slowly. Then, with a flash of light, the vocals started. The crowd was filled with excitement as the first song continued. The band was lit by a small number of spotlights. One thing that is very unique about a Pierce the Veil show is the production. This show was no exception. When the chorus hit, the spotlights vanished. They were replaced with more than a dozen flashing colorful lights. These lights were an intense part of the entire show as a whole.  With every bass drop, cymbal crash, and guitar riff, there were lights to go with it. Every flash of light was timed perfectly with what was happening on stage. You could tell that a lot of time was put in to making it perfect. At times, the lights were a bit overdone. Overall, they did add an element of exhilaration to the performance.

Throughout the set, Pierce the Veil performed a good variety of music. Whether members of the crowd were old fans or new, there was a little for everyone. One part of the set that was exceptional was when the band took a step back from their high-powered and heavy songs. They quickly switched to acoustic guitars for the song, “Kissing in Cars.” The band had never played this song live until this tour. Instead of crowd members jumping and crowd surfing, they took a completely different approach. A few couples in the crowd even began to slow dance to the song as it played.

However, the show was not slow for long. The floor rumbled from the bass, and red lights appeared as background music started. As the music grew louder, the lights turned blue and the intro to “Hell Above” started. The band finished off their set with power-driven songs, including “Bulletproof Love,” during which a fan was brought up on stage for the singer, Vic, to sing to. This really captured a special moment within the set. It allowed the members of the band to personally connect with an individual fan.

As the show continued and the night went on, Pierce the Veil then closed the set with the song “Hold on till May.”

Of course, a show is not complete without an encore. Before the end of the night, Pierce the Veil came out for two more songs,  “Circles” and “King for a Day.” Of course, no Pierce the Veil show would be complete without confetti. Thousands of pieces of colored confetti flooded the air of the venue. This was a perfect way to end the night.

Overall, the show was a night of complete exhilaration, entertainment, and rock. Each band brought unique elements to make the show perfect.